Closure for jars. bottles, and similar receptacles



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,521

F. J. FISON CLOSURE FOR JARS, BOTTLES, AND SIMILAR RECEPTACLES Filed Nov. 13, 1924 Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATE'l FFIQE.

FEETJEBICK JONATHAN FISON, OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CHIVERS & SONS LIMITED, 0)? HISTON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

CLOSURE FOR JARS. BOTTLES AND SIMILAR RECEPTAGLES.

Application filed November 13, 1924, Serial No. M9562, and in Great Britain May 27, 1924.

This invention relates to closures tor jars and similar receptacles of the kind comprising a closing cap or cover of sheet metal or other suitable thin material having a depending flange or skirt which is used in con junction with a flat rubber gasket which is interposed between the upper surface of the jar neck and the said cap or cover which latter is retained in the closed position with the gasket pressed close against seating on the jar by atmospheric pressure due to air being exhausted from the jar by a vacuumizing process.

According to this invefition, the said flange or skirt of the sheet metal cap is provided with a slit between the upper and lower edges of the said flange or skirt at such po-. sition that the portion of the flange above the slit covers the outer edge of the gasket whilst the slit itself lies adjacent to a rounded part of the jar neck, the said slit being wide or long enough to enable an ordinary table knife to be inserted through the same so that it is guided by the rounded part of the jar neck and directed between the gasket and its seating on the jar so as to break the seal and destroy the vacuum within the jar. The knife can be passed beyond the seating towards the diametrically opposite part thereof so that it can be manipulated to remove the cap after breaking the seal thus enabling the breaking of the seal and the removal of the cap to be effected in practically one operation whilst the knife is positioned within the aforesaid slit. The cap may be provided with peripheral retaining means such as hook-like tabs on or depend .ing from the cap flange or skirt for enabling the cap to be retained on the jar by a length of string or similar flexible material which passed alternately over the said retainingmeans and under a shoulder or heading on the jar in substantial. circumferential cc tact therewith so that by pulling the string tightly and tying or securing its ends a downward pull is exerted 011 the retaining means for the purpose of retaining the cap on the jar in case the vacuum seal should be broken accidentally. This method of retaining the cap on the jar forms the subject of my earlier application for United States Patent Serial No. 715,991 filed 26th rtay 192st.

in order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect,

ings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a construction of the lmproved cap having peripheral retaining means that can he engaged by a securing string as aforesaid. i i ii Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sect onal view taken through the slit in the peripheral skirt or flange on the cap.

A represents a jar having a rounded shoulder or heading A at its upper part, the cross sectional form of which is as shown 1n Flgure 2. B indicates the closing:- cap or cove-r which is in the form of a sheethietal (l'lSC having a peripheral depending flange or skirt B whilst it is also shaped to provide a recess B at its outer part to receive a flat gasket or packing ring C of rubben which, when the cap is placed on the jar, rests on the upper surface of the jar shoulder or heading A as shown in Figure The cap flange or skirt B is provided with a wide slit B between the upper and lower edges of the said flange 0r skirt B and the part of the flange above the said slot extends to or slightly beyond the lower surface of the gasket so as to protect or cover the outer edge of the gasket. When the jar with the cap applied, is subjected to the vacuunnzing process the cap is drawn tightly on to the jar, thereby causing the gasket to be pressed closely on to the upper part of the shoulder or heading to efiecta seal which is maintained after removal of the iar from the vacuumizing apparatus by atmospheric pressure. A portion of the rounded shoulder or heading A on the jar is exposed through the said slit B which is large enough to receive the end of an ordinary table knife, which, when inserted in the said slit is guided by the exposed rounded portion of the jar shoulder A so that it can be thrust between the under surface of the gasket and the upper part of the shoulder for the purpose of breaking the vacuum seal so as to destroy the vacuum and thus permit of the cap being readily removed. The knife can be thrust through the slit B to a substantial extent across the jar so that after breaking the seal it can be manipulated to remove the cap whilst still within the slit so that it is unnecessary to with draw the knife from the slit after breaking the seal and before taking 0d the cap. In

the example shown the peripheral skirt of the cap is provided with depending hooklike tabs or projections D which can be passed over the maximum diameter, of the jar shoulder A so asito grip against crunder the latter. A string D may be passed over the said hook-like tabs D and tied circumferentially "around the jar under the shoulder so that by reason of the engagement of the string under the said shoulder a downward pull can be exerted on the hooklike tabs -so as to secure or retainthe cap on the jar in case the vacuum seal should he; accidentally destroyed or broken. This feature of ali'ording additional security'by passing the string over hookdiketabs or the like on the cap and under the shoulder of the jar is described in the specification of my prior United States patent application Serial No. 715,991. Any of the peripheral-re taining means for the string as disclosed in the specification of my prior patent applica tion maybe provided on-the peripheral skirt or flange of .the cap "according to this invention and the said slit for the insertion ofthe table knife 'is in all'cases located between arpair ofthe,retaining'means as shown in Figural. ."Ihe cap" having the depending tabs or the like thatr pass over the maximum diameter of the shoulderand grip the latter can be used as'a re-seal cover or closure after'initial removal of the cap. hen initially removing the capretained by the securingstring as aforesaid, the string can be first cut with a tableknife and whilst this is in the hand it ctin be inserted through the slit B to break the vacuum seal and remove the cap. i

hat I claim and desire to secure by Lette'rs Pat'ent of the'Un'it ed States is:-

51. A jar or similar closure'of'the vacuum seal type comprising'a closing cap of thin material having a depending peripheral flange and a gasketaclaptedto be interposed between the upper rounded edgeot the jar neck and said cap,the saidflange'on'the cap ha'vinga slit' betweendts upper-and lower edges, in such position'that the portion of the flange above the slit covers the outer edge of the gasket, whilst the slit itself lies adjacent to part of the rounded edge of the jar neck and is made long enough to enable an ordinary table knife to be inserted through the same and guided by the said rounded part of the jar neck so as to be directed between the gasket and its seating in order to break the seal and destroy the vacuum within the jar.

2. The combination with a receptacle having an enlarged bead about its mouth, of a closure oithe vacuum seal type comprising a cap of thin. material provided with a depending ila nge, and a gasket within the cap adjacent the flange thereot andbearing on the bead. about the mouth of the receptacle, the flange of the cap being provided with a slitpositioned in substantial alignment with one of the faces of the'gasket, and through which'a blade like instrument can be inserted to break the scalprm ided by the gasket.

3. A jar closure of the vacuum seal type comprising a cap oi thin material provided with a depending flange and a gasket within the cap adjacent the flange'threof, the flange being provided with aslit-positioned in substantial alignment with one of the faces of the gasket, and through which a blade like instrument can be inserted to break the seal provided by the gasket when the closure is in use. p h at. The combination with a receptacle,of a closing cap having aperipheral flange surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and provided with a plurality ofhooks, a gasket between the cover and upper edgeo'l. the receptacle, and a flexiblebinder cooperating with saidhooks and means on the receptacle to retain the cover in position, the peripheral flange of the cover having formed therein a slit in substantial align ment with the inner face of the gasket through which a blade-like instrument can be inserted to break the seal between the gasket and receptacle when the flexible hind erhas been released.

FREDERICK Joita'rrnr-N *FISON. 

